Konrad Marzec has been working as a Product Designer for over 10 years, but his design journey began much earlier. As a teenager, he spent hours in front of a screen learning various graphic and web design tools. However, he did not consider design as a career path until he went to university. Initially, he studied clinical psychology and wanted to work in a mental hospital. During his sophomore year, he decided to change his specialization and joined the first Human-Computer Interaction faculty launched in Poland. Since obtaining his master’s degree in the HCI specialization, he has been solving user problems for digital products, such as websites and mobile applications. On a day-to-day basis, he works in Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud. However, in his spare time, he continues to explore new design tools and emerging technologies, one of which is Generative Artificial Intelligence.
I loosely apply my product design experience to my creative process with Generative AI. Typically, I begin with a theme in mind based on my observations, experiences, or obstacles I face in life. For example, I live by the rule of not wearing animal-derived products. While it is becoming easier to find high-quality, cruelty-free apparel, it still takes a lot of time and effort to search for them. This is how the ideas of seaweed leather and 3D printed themes came to life. Once I have a clear theme in mind, I look for inspiration and come up with a few keywords and statements that I want to express through my work. Finally, during the ideation phase, I generate sometimes hundreds of images and select a few that create a coherent story matching the initial theme and style I was after.
– Konrad Marzec
My parents have been running a boutique clothing store for over 30 years. My mom has always paid close attention to what I wear and often offers unsolicited advice [laughs]. However, my interest in fashion began only a few years ago when I decided to stop using animal-derived products in my lifestyle. This means that sometimes I have to give up on items I would normally buy. These limitations have sparked my curiosity about the fashion industry and I am always on the outlook for research on the newest and most innovative materials. I hope that my work is at least somewhat thought-provoking and creates an interest in a non-traditional approach to fashion.
– Konrad Märze
